Big changes are hitting New York’s waterways this weekend and next week. NYC Ferry is running a modified Passover schedule April 5–7, and then rolling straight into its expanded Spring 2026 schedule on April 8. If you ride the ferry — or have been thinking about trying it — here’s everything you need to know.
NYC Ferry Passover Schedule: April 5–7, 2026
NYC Ferry will operate a holiday schedule for Passover from Saturday, April 5 through Tuesday, April 7. Saturday runs on a modified weekend schedule; Monday and Tuesday switch to a modified weekday schedule. Here’s the route-by-route breakdown:
East River Route
The East River splits into two separate services during most of the holiday period:
- East River A: Wall St/Pier 11 → DUMBO → North Williamsburg → Hunters Point South → East 34th Street
- East River B: Wall St/Pier 11 → DUMBO → South Williamsburg → Greenpoint → East 34th Street
Free transfers are available at DUMBO, Wall St/Pier 11, or East 34th Street between the two routes.
Rockaway-Soundview Route
Boats will run every 45 minutes in both directions to handle afternoon demand. The route operates between Ferry Point Park and Rockaway with stops at Soundview, East 90th Street, East 34th Street, Stuyvesant Cove, Wall St/Pier 11, and Sunset Park/BAT.
South Brooklyn Route
At most times during the holiday, South Brooklyn will not stop at Governors Island and will extend to Sunset Park/BAT and Bay Ridge instead. Exception: On Monday April 6 and Tuesday April 7, morning service (7:00–11:00 AM) will include Governors Island.
Governors Island Shuttle
The GovIsland shuttle begins operations at 9:50 AM. Final departure from Wall St/Pier 11 is 4:08 PM; final departure from Governors Island is 5:20 PM (the island closes at 6 PM).
Astoria Route
Departure times are shifting during the Passover period. Check the NYC Ferry schedule page for exact times before heading to the dock.
Spring 2026 Schedule Starts April 8
Right on the heels of Passover, NYC Ferry launches its Spring 2026 schedule on Wednesday, April 8 — running through May 17. This is good news for weekend riders: service frequency and capacity are going up on most routes.
Key upgrades:
- East River: A/B split runs all day on weekends (not just peak hours)
- Rockaway-Soundview, Astoria, and St. George: Increased weekend frequency
- New cruise shuttle: On select weekend days, a point-to-point shuttle between Red Hook/Atlantic Basin and Wall St/Pier 11 runs 7:30–9:00 AM for cruise passenger demand
If you’ve been using the ferry for your Rockaway beach runs, the spring schedule means more frequent boats and less waiting on the dock.
MTA Bus Network Redesign Update
On the bus front, the MTA continues rolling out its borough-by-borough Bus Network Redesign in 2026. The Brooklyn redesign draft plan is moving forward with reimagined routes, rebalanced stop spacing to speed up service, and stronger intraborough and interborough connections. While specific April implementation dates haven’t been announced, riders in Brooklyn should keep an eye on MTA’s bus redesign page for updates on when new routes go live in their neighborhoods.
Staten Island Ferry: No Changes
The free Staten Island Ferry continues on its regular schedule this weekend. Boats run every 30 minutes during off-peak hours and every 15–20 minutes during rush. Still the best free ride in the city — and still the best view of the Statue of Liberty from the water.
Commuter Tip
The Passover-to-Spring schedule transition means ferry times are changing twice in one week. If you’re a regular ferry commuter, download updated PDF schedules from ferry.nyc now rather than relying on memory. Bookmark your route’s page so you can pull it up at the dock. And if you’re riding the East River route this weekend, remember you may need to transfer between the A and B services at DUMBO, Wall St/Pier 11, or East 34th Street — free transfers apply.
Whether you’re heading to Rockaway, catching a ferry across the harbor, or waiting for the bus redesign to shake up your commute — stay informed and plan ahead. New York transit rewards the prepared.
